August issue out July 8th

Thursday 3 December 2009

Can you help me?

I'm writing an article for the February issue of Dogs Today on feeding trends and I'd love to talk to some people who are happy with their feeding regime. I'd love to hear from the following types of pet owners who feel confident that they way they feed their dogs is the best possible:


* A radical raw food feeder

* Someone who wants to be as natural as possible but still feeds carbs and prepared foods

* A dry food feeder

* Someone who uses cans

* A wet food feeder - pouches or sachets etc

* Someone who feels they have conquered allergy problems via diet

Anyone else with an interesting angle on doggie diets!

My email address is beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk or you can leave a comment here!

I'll be asking other questions here shortly - so please keep checking and if you have a diet-related question to ask, please do email me! beverley@dogstodaymagazine.co.uk

Thank you!
Beverley
Editor

7 comments:

In the pink said...

Over the last 15 years we have had (amongst our pack) 2 dogs with food issues. The first sadly died but we felt that discovering Purina HA was a real milestone in her wellbeing. It is a very strange dry food - white and smells like milk. We also [through the Royal Vet College] found a dry food which contained RABBIT which was also successful for her for a time, made by a small company - Healthy Paws. Our present dog has suffered with recurrant problems largely die to having prolonged Campylobactor as a very small pup. I think we have, over the years, explored every can, kibble and alternative diet known to the dog world! He cannot tolerate a raw diet but does manage to stay reasonably well on Arden Grange fish & potato. He can also tolerate fresh, cooked lamb. Neither dogs were realted and they are the only dogs I have owned who would refuse tasty treats!

Anonymous said...

Hi Beverley
I give my 9 month-old Sussex Spaniel the BARF diet - as per Ian Billinghurst, but without the various supplements he recommends.
It consists of raw chicken wings, or lamb ribs, (or fish, if you want) and a bowl of ground up veggies, mixed with things like raw eggs, cottage cheese, a bit of mince or raw tripe, oil, etc.
She looks wonderfully well on it, as did my last Sussex.
The best thing about it is that it keeps their teeth nice and clean and they don't seem to suffer from stomach upsets or allergies as other dogs do.
It may well be that some dried dog foods are equally nutritious but I just like the idea of fresh food - for both me and my dog.
Julia Lewis

Unknown said...

I feed my dogs, 3 Leonbergers 2 spaniels and a crossbreed, a mix of Orijen and raw.

My oldest dog has had a lot of bowel problems but does well on this combination. Grain free suits everyone and raw bones keep their teeth clean.

Lucy King said...

Chloe, my 10 year old rescue Collie X came to me being fed on the BARF diet.

However, my house had builders in and we had no cooking facilities for months to be able to do rice or pasta, so I spent ages finding a food I considered to be natural enough.

James Wellbeloved was lovely but it wasn't long before she started stuggling to eat dry food because of her teeth, so we switched to Wainwrights wet dog food. This is the first prepared dog food that is wet that hasn't made her poo horrid to pick up. She wolfs it down and the wide range of flavours means I can mix and match the different protein levels and oils.

Claire M said...

I fall into the second category from the top, being a huge fan of NatureDiet. Both of my dogs suffer from colitis and NatureDiet suits them much better than any other of the countless foods and diets I have tried over the previous 12 years. For me, NatureDiet is the perfect compromise between feeding as natural a diet as possible and convenience/affordability.

Chapstaff said...

My two year old Staffie Tala is very excitable like many Staffies, & does best on a low protein diet, so I feed her Naturediet as I did my Staffie before her.
I think it's a well balanced diet, ready prepared, with all the necessary vitamins & minerals.

I have tested Tala with a raw knuckle bone, but I am afraid she will wear her incisors down to the pulp with excessive grinding & scraping of the bone, so she doesn't have them anymore.

My previous Staffie wore her incisors to the pulp & broke a canine tooth on a knuckle bone.

Chapstaff said...

It seems my comment above regarding Naturediet being low protein is incorrect, and I don't want to mislead anyone by recommending it for their hyperactive dog.

It states low protein levels on the packaging, but I didn't take into account the moisture levels which alter the percentage of protein....(or something) I got a bit lost then...lol

Thanks for the email from Christine Bailey, Dogs Today for putting me right.